Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, a 2023 adventure title, exhibits remarkably high performance on the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The measured data indicates that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for the game, delivering frame rates that far exceed the standard 60 FPS target across all tested settings and resolutions. The benchmark results paint a picture of a system that is not merely playable but overwhelmingly capable, with the primary performance dynamics shifting between the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and graphical preset selected.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking aspect of the dataset is the sheer performance headroom available at every resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 306 FPS. This figure drops by 24.8% to 230 FPS at 1440p, and then by a further 33% to 154 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is classic for a system where the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as pixel count increases, but the CPU remains largely unchallenged.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p sees a significant FPS drop across all settings, indicating that the GPU is beginning to take on a heavier load. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 228 at 1080p to 172 at 1440p, a 24.5% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K yields another considerable drop, with High settings averaging 115 FPS at 4K, a 33.1% reduction from the 1440p figure. This consistent decline demonstrates that the RTX 3080 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, though it remains powerful enough to maintain very high frame rates.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound, or at least hitting a performance ceiling that is not solely dictated by the GPU. The fact that the 1080p Low preset (306 FPS) is nearly 50% faster than the 1080p High preset (228 FPS) shows that the GPU is still doing significant work, but the gap between resolutions is more pronounced than the gap between settings at a single resolution. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU at 1080p, allowing the RTX 3080 to run at full tilt. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep but consistent, confirming that resolution is the dominant variable.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds a combo rank of 1030 out of 3710 tested configurations for Dave The Diver. This places it in the top 27.8% of all combos, a strong showing that reflects its high average frame rates across the board. The rank is a holistic measure, taking into account performance across all tested resolutions and settings, and a position in the top quartile underscores that this is a well-balanced pairing for this title.

The ranking is particularly noteworthy given the GPU's overall percentile. The RTX 3080 sits at the 68th percentile when compared to all other GPUs in the database. However, when paired with the high-performing Ryzen 9 7900X, the combo achieves a rank that is significantly higher than the GPU's individual percentile might suggest. This synergy is a key indicator that the CPU is not holding the system back, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential. The data implies that the 7900X's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 29,300 score in Cinebench R23 multicore, helps to eliminate any potential bottleneck in this less demanding adventure game.

A rank of 1030 out of 3710 means that 2680 other tested combinations were slower. This is a definitive statement of the combo's capability. It is not a top-tier, absolute best configuration, but it is firmly in the upper echelon, offering performance that would likely be considered overkill for a game with the visual complexity of Dave The Diver. The high FPS at 4K Ultra, which averages 102 FPS, confirms its ranking, as maintaining over 100 FPS at maximum settings in 4K is a feat that only a minority of tested systems can achieve.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the workhorse of this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured FPS data. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This ample bandwidth is critical for feeding the shading units at high resolutions and texture settings. In Dave The Diver, where the action frequently takes place underwater with detailed environments, the high bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and scene rendering do not become a bottleneck, even at 4K.

The RTX 3080's clock speeds, with a base of 1440 MHz and a boost of 1710 MHz, are typical for the Ampere architecture. The boost clock is the more relevant figure for sustained gaming performance, and the data indicates that the GPU is able to sustain high frequencies to achieve the observed results. The GPU features 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. This raw compute power, capable of 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is what allows the card to render the game's scenes at such high frame rates.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant for the 4K results. At 3840x2160, the game demands more memory and bandwidth than at lower resolutions. The 10 GB frame buffer is sufficient for the game's High and Ultra presets at 4K, as evidenced by the playable average FPS of 102 at Ultra. However, the performance difference between Low (154 FPS) and Ultra (102 FPS) at 4K shows that the GPU is being taxed by the higher graphical fidelity, likely due to increased shader complexity and memory pressure. The card's performance percentile of 68 indicates it is a solid mid-to-high-tier performer, but its placement in the top 27.8% of combos for this game suggests it is especially effective in this specific context.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Dave The Diver at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 102 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is well above the standard 60 FPS target, indicating a smooth and highly playable experience.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for the highest frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves a 306 FPS average on the Low preset. Even at the most demanding 1080p Ultra setting, it still averages 202 FPS, making 1080p the best choice for maximizing frame rates.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between Medium and Ultra settings?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 193 on Medium to 152 on Ultra, a decrease of 21.2%. At 3840x2160, the drop is from 129 FPS on Medium to 102 FPS on Ultra, a 20.9% reduction.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 in this game?

A: The data suggests it is not a significant bottleneck. The 1080p Low preset reaches 306 FPS, indicating the CPU can push frames very quickly. The combo's high rank of 1030 out of 3710 also implies a well-balanced pairing.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in the benchmark?

A: The lowest recorded minimum FPS in the dataset is 110 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Medium settings. This indicates that even in the most demanding recorded scenario, the frame rate never drops below 110 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to its overall hardware ranking?

A: The RTX 3080 alone is at the 68th percentile of GPUs. However, the combo ranks in the top 27.8% of all tested combos for this game, showing that the pairing performs better in Dave The Diver than the GPU's standalone ranking might suggest.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance goals. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor with a high refresh rate (144Hz or higher), the High preset is the clear recommendation. At 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 172 FPS, which is more than sufficient to take full advantage of a 144Hz display. At 1080p, the High preset at 228 FPS is equally excellent. There is little to no benefit in using the Low or Medium presets at these resolutions, as the High preset already provides a massive frame rate advantage over the 60 FPS baseline.

For 4K gaming, the Ultra preset is a viable option, with an average of 102 FPS. This is a playable and smooth experience for most gamers. However, to ensure an even higher level of performance and to provide more headroom for demanding scenes, the High preset at 4K is an excellent choice, boosting the average to 115 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is a 13 FPS average, which is a small cost for the maximum visual fidelity. Given that the game is an adventure title, prioritizing visual quality at 4K is reasonable, but the High preset offers a better balance of performance and visual quality for those who prefer a higher FPS buffer.

The Medium preset, while providing a minimum FPS of 110 at 4K and 164 at 1440p, does not offer a significant enough performance advantage over High to justify the visual downgrade. The data shows that the system is so powerful that it can comfortably run the High preset at all resolutions with frame rates well above 100. Therefore, the recommendation is to start with the High preset for the best balance and only consider Ultra if the user prioritizes maximum visual fidelity over a slight reduction in frame rate. The Low preset is only useful for benchmarking or if a player is targeting an extremely high refresh rate (240Hz+) at 1080p, as it is the only setting that breaks the 300 FPS barrier.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X plays a supporting, yet crucial, role in this configuration. Its 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture, provide immense processing power. While Dave The Diver is not a heavily multi-threaded game, the CPU's strong single-core performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2617 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2016.5, ensures that game logic and physics are processed without delay, allowing the GPU to work at its maximum capacity.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is a key factor in its ability to maintain high frame rates. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p, the system can reach up to 306 FPS, which is a scenario where CPU performance is often the limiting factor. The fact that this combo achieves such high frame rates at 1080p indicates that the 7900X is successfully feeding the GPU with data, preventing a CPU bottleneck. The processor's 64 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by storing frequently accessed data, reducing latency and improving overall system responsiveness.

The CPU's overall performance percentile is 91, placing it in the top 9% of all processors. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700F, are within a 0.6% performance delta, showing that the 7900X is a top-tier performer. This high level of CPU performance is what allows the RTX 3080 to achieve its full potential, ensuring that the combo's rank is not held back by processor limitations. The 7900X's 24 threads are more than adequate for any background tasks, and its 170W TDP is a reasonable price to pay for this level of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact average frame rates recorded for this combo across all tested settings and resolutions. The data is consistent and shows a clear hierarchy of performance.

1920x1080:

• Low: 306 FPS average. This is the highest recorded average for the entire dataset, showing the system's peak capability.
• Medium: 256 FPS average, with a minimum of 218 FPS and a maximum of 294 FPS.
• High: 228 FPS average. A very strong result, ideal for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors.
• Ultra: 202 FPS average. Still an exceptionally high frame rate, proving the system's overhead at this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: 230 FPS average. A significant drop from 1080p, but still an outstanding result.
• Medium: 193 FPS average, with a minimum of 164 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS.
• High: 172 FPS average. This is the recommended setting for 1440p, providing a perfect experience for 144Hz displays.
• Ultra: 152 FPS average. A negligible performance cost for maximum visual quality at this resolution.

3840x2160:

• Low: 154 FPS average. The 4K resolution begins to tax the GPU, but the frame rate remains exceptionally high.
• Medium: 129 FPS average, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS. The minimum FPS still guarantees a smooth experience.
• High: 115 FPS average. A great balance for 4K, ensuring a high level of detail with excellent performance.
• Ultra: 102 FPS average. The most demanding configuration, but it still surpasses the 100 FPS mark, making it a viable option for 4K gaming.